Sunday 18 December 2022

spinning plates

What's happening in the sewing room?
Well, it's been a messy busy couple of weeks around here, 
and here's photographic proof {wink wink} that I just can’t stick to one thing at a time!


Not wanting to lose momentum with my 'evie' quilt, {see here for earlier details} I grabbed some more light - light/medium scraps and made up more kite string pieced sections. Once I had enough for twelve blocks, I started joining them all up. 

Wow, all my centre points lined up beautifully! When joining up the two halves of the block, I nest the centre seams and start sewing from the centre out in both directions. Then I open out that centre seam on the back when pressing. How do you tackle joining up points like these?  

Here's a few progress photos ...









- Evie popped up to the sewing room to check out my progress!







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Then I had a basting day! I joined up leftover pieces of batting & sorted out backings for three recently finished smaller quilt tops. I managed to get all three quilts layered & pin basted ready for machine quilting, and I really got a good workout that day! 
I plan to do some home quilting over the summer, so I'm super happy to have this little pile all ready & waiting to be quilted ...






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Later in the week, I was feeling a tad disappointed with a couple of recent quilt block fails. I guess not every idea ends up a good idea! 
But, not one to give up, I started making a different set of trial kaleidoscope blocks.  There's lots of different ways to approach making this quilt. This time I was really keen to have a play with the background corner colours. 

I started with a 10" square pack of AMH fabrics, sorted them out into mediums/darks, and added some lights from my stash. Then I began teaming them up first with my first choice for the background corners, the Solids Rose Coloured Glasses. Then I swopped the rose out for assorted light fabrics just to compare. 

I'll need to decide which way I'm going with those backgrounds, and I'll need to make up a few more blocks before that unexpected delightful secondary pattern occurs I think. 

Anyways, it's all lots of fun.
Check out my design options on the "design floor" 

pic #1

pic #2

pic #3

Just curious, which do you prefer, pic #1 pic #2 or pic #3?

Some people love to focus on sewing one thing at a time. But if you stop by often you'll already know I enjoy jumping from one thing to another. I wonder how many plates projects can I keep spinning at the same time during the fast approaching silly season?

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And just before I finish up, here's three great recent reads ...


'Lessons on Chemisty' is original & witty and I enjoyed it right from the start. Elizabeth Zott is a chemist in the 1960s, where women were a rarity in the field. It's a man's world and the woman's place is in the home, remaining silent, and following along with what the men say.
However, Elizabeth isn't wired that way, she's headstrong and independent, and she refuses to tow the expected line.

Things start to change when she marches into the office of Calvin Evans, a respected scientist at Hastings Research Institute. It soon becomes clear that Calvin and Elizabeth 'get each other'. They have romantic chemistry as well as a love for the science of chemistry.
Just a few years later, Elizabeth finds herself a single mother and forced to find another career. She lands in the most unlikely of places, the host of a cooking show. 
It's a novel... a chemistry lesson... and, a cooking lesson all in one! If you ignore the chick-lit look of the cover and don't take it all too seroiusly, it's a delightful read!




Jodi Picoult does not shy away from covering relevant and to some, controversial topics, and 'Mad Honey' is another example of this. 
The story is told from the perspectives of Olivia and Lily. Olivia is a beekeeper and a mother to a teenager son, Asher. She left behind an abusive marriage to start over in her hometown in New Hampshire.
Whereas Lily is a teenage girl who just moved to the area with her mother. She is also hoping for a fresh start from a painful past.
Asher and Lily eventually start to date and fall in love and for once, everything seems at peace. Until one day, Lily is found dead and Asher is the number one suspect.

And... I cannot revel any more... except to say, I was surprised with the unexpected twist and it gave me lots to think about. I recommend you add this book to your 'must read' list too.



A regular weekday morning veers drastically off-course for five strangers who have little in common but their choice of cafe - their lives never to be the same again when an apparently crazed gunman holds them hostage.

But there is more to the situation than first meets the eye and as the captives grapple with their own inner demons, the line between right and wrong starts to blur. Such a good read, I had to keep going as it was unputdownable!


Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays
πŸŽ„πŸŽ…πŸŽ„πŸ€ΆπŸŽ„
Linda

10 comments:

Mystic Quilter said...

Nice finish with the Evie quilt top - is this one actually going home with Evie when all quilted?? I'm with you on sewing centre out with kaleidoscope blocks, I find it's much easier. Good to see you have a second one on the go already and I prefer the second setting with the light corners, second one is the third, there's a real spin using those two colours.

Mystic Quilter said...

Oh meant to say good for you going with a little home quilting, something I've always done in the past but the past few times I have had Leeanne quilt if they were large or I was in a hurry.

Linda said...

Pic 1 is my choice. You have been busy! What a pretty little granddaughter you have. She looks a bright little thing. Happy Christmas to you all!

FlourishingPalms said...

Your Evie quilt is adorable! Love the bits of aqua in it that really attract my eyes. Your attention to detail - getting those points accurate - is very impressive! Perhaps that's one of the reasons I don't make pieced blocks such as this. :-) Looks like you're having a good play with your AMH fabrics and kaleidoscope blocks. I like option #1 best with the Rose Colored Glasses background as a restful place for my eyes. Thanks for the book recommendations! I haven't heard of any of them.

MissPat said...

I like Pic#3 the best. I also recently read Lessons in Chemistry and thoroughly enjoyed it. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Oh, and I agree, one cannot have too many projects going on. Variety is the spice of life.
Pat

Susan said...

I'm with Miss Pat (previous commenter) I like Pic 3. You always come up with some delightful designs Linda. I am basing my log cabin on your lovely recent finish. I looked at buying Rachel's pattern to join in the sew-along, but I could not justify the $A20 price for a basically free pattern! Thanks for the book recommendation. I have read many great reviews for "Lessons in Chemistry", so I have added it to my growing list. The Secrets of Strangers brings back nasty memories of the siege in the Lindt chocolate shop in Sydney a few years back. I may give that one a miss....

LIttle Penguin Quilts said...

You aren't the only one who has many plates spinning at once in the sewing room! I love your Evie quilt and fun to see what else you've been working on as well. I loved Lessons in Chemistry - such a great story! My book club is going to discuss it in January. Thanks for the other recommendations, too!

Astrid said...

Great finish on the Evie quilt top. Now I'm tempted to make one too! Never thought of sewing centre out on those blocks, I'll try that next time I'm making blocks like that. I like pic #3. Love hearing about good reads, have to check my favorite bookstore.

Alycia~Quiltygirl said...

Oh Evie quilt is Beautiful!!! those are a wonderful color combination
and I like pic 1 can't give you a reason - just the one I like the best
Enjoy!!!

The Joyful Quilter said...

LOVE that Spinning Plates quilt top, Linda! Regarding the backgrounds for the Kaleidoscope... That's such a person preference sort of thing. Best of luck with your choice and can't wait to hear about your next book recommendations!